


That Old Name

by AutumnVine



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: But in a cute and joking way, Byleth using her body to lure her fiancé to bed because she won't stop working, Edeleth, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Intimacy, Names, Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Post-Canon, Relationship Discussions, Short & Sweet, Slightly Possessive Edelgard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnVine/pseuds/AutumnVine
Summary: Months after the war's end and their engagement, Byleth notices Edelgard's continued use of the affectionate nickname "My Teacher".And like everything about her fiancé, she finds it adorable.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 167





	That Old Name

It’s another late and exhaustive evening when Byleth Eisner, current fiancé and future empress to Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg, finally manages to convince her partner to put down the quill and get ready for bed.

They had the same battle almost every night, with the younger and more stubborn of the two unwilling to tear herself away from the mountain of work ever-present on her desk. Meanwhile the older and far more tenacious one would play every trick she had in order to lure the hard-working ruler back to their private quarters.

This time, she decides to go with the oldest, and certainly dirtiest trick in the book.

“El…” Byleth leans over the emperor’s shoulder, breath tickling her ear. “Won’t you come to bed with me?”

Huffing quietly, Edelgard scratches another signature onto a piece of parchment. “My teacher, please allow me to finish at a place I feel comfortable.”

“Then you’ll be up for another few hours,” she counters playfully. “And you know I like to cuddle in bed with you instead of being alone…”

The quill slows for just a moment, but she quickly moves on to another document.

“Byleth, I am now the emperor of a united Fódlan… my work has doubled, no tripled, and I need to accomplish all I can _while_ I can.”

“You also need sleep, El. Even you can’t have forgotten that you are just as human as anyone else.”

But Edelgard remains silent, eyes flickering over words in the soft candlelight. Sighing to herself, now Byleth decides she needs to play dirty.

Hence, the trick.

“El… if you come to bed with me in the next ten seconds…” Pressing her lips against the Flame Emperor’s neck, she whispers, “I’ll sleep naked tonight.”

Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six…

… The quill pen clatters onto the top of the desk, and Edelgard turns her blushing face towards Byleth.

“I… that’s completely unfair, my teacher, and you know it.”

“I know,” Byleth responds. “And that’s why I do it.” Then she grabs Edelgard’s hand and pulls her away.

—

One thing that Byleth knew about her former student was that she didn’t like to just be handed things. No, Edelgard preferred to earn her rewards and accomplishments with good old-fashioned effort.

The same applies to their romantic intimacy; instead of just giving herself, Byleth likes to make Edelgard _work_ for it.

So she waits for the emperor to finish her nighttime routine, laying in what she thinks is a seductive position wearing the most risqué nightgown in her possession. From experience, she knows that the act of undressing her was one that Edelgard couldn’t get enough of.

Emerging from the attached bathroom, Edelgard wore her own far more conservative nightwear, long-sleeved and high-collared. Her eyes catch on Byleth, and even from across the room she can hear the sovereign’s breath stop momentarily.

“Like what you see?” Byleth teases.

“I… yes, as always,” she replies, a clear understatement.

Byleth giggles as she sits up, shifting to a kneeling position on the sheets and blankets. “Well then, what are you waiting for, Your Majesty?”

She steps forward, putting her hands on the side of the future empress’s body. With some slight encouragement, Edelgard slowly outlines the curves and lines of her lover’s body, then kisses her deeply.

“You drive me crazy, my teacher.”

There it was again. For some reason Byleth couldn’t help but notice how Edelgard still used that old and very affectionate name for her. She had managed to transition from “Professor” to “Byleth” with only a slight bit of initial difficulty, but “my teacher” very much seemed to be there to stay.

Well, it wasn’t like Byleth could claim total immunity from doing the same - she really enjoyed teasing the emperor by using her royal titles, fully aware that it was a flagrant desecration of protocol and decorum. Still, it seemed to her that unlike this, Edelgard continued to put the full weight of her feelings and affection behind the self-devised title.

“Hmmm, you’re never going to stop calling me that, are you?”

Edelgard pulls back slightly, eyes open wide in mild surprise. “I… is that a problem?”

Laughing, Byleth shakes her head. “Not at all, El. I actually think it’s really cute.”

Face blushing more at the use of _that word_ , Edelgard nods in reassurance, then lets her hand find Byleth’s. “I know that it must be strange, especially given that we are presently engaged…”

“Our entire relationship has been nothing but strange,” Byleth points out. “I mean, I used to be your professor.”

“And I was your student.” Edelgard gives her a nervous smile. “To be honest, that part of our lives will always be important to me… it’s where we met, where I fell for you, where you chose me…” She trails off, then quickly kisses Byleth again for emphasis.

“I would always choose you, El. Declaring war on three military powers for your sake was nothing.” A dramatic statement, but one she stood by fully. Even a godlike being couldn’t stand in her way. “The hardest part was proposing,” she admits.

Now Edelgard laughs, a soft giggle that Byleth never grew tired of hearing. “I refuse to believe that! You were so full of confidence that night.”

“Maybe on the outside, but my heart was beating so fast I thought that I might die.” Reaching out to brush aside a lock of stray hair, Byleth kisses the emperor in turn. “You gave me that heart, El… and it will always belong to you.”

She can feel Edelgard practically melt in her arms.

“I have a bit of a confession, Byleth,” she eventually says, looking her in those cobalt blue eyes. “Part of the reason I liked calling you “my teacher” was because… because at the time, it made it feel like you were _mine._ ”

“Yours?” Byleth raises an amused eyebrow. “Oh El… you’ve always been so possessive of me.”

The blush that evokes is furiously red, but Edelgard doesn’t disagree. She turns her head slightly out of either shame or embarrassment, but Byleth just turns it back with a careful touch.

“I think that’s only fair, seeing as you were my favorite student.”

“You weren’t supposed to play favorites, Byleth,” she teasingly chides her.

“I know, but I did anyway. You were always special, even if I didn’t quite know why at the time.”

Edelgard is quiet for a moment, then her hands lower and find purchase on the folds of Byleth’s nightgown. “I believe you owe me something.”

Ah, she had almost forgotten. Nodding, Byleth allows the emperor to lift the article of clothing over her head, then watches as she throws it to the floor. Immediately her eyes are transfixed, roaming the length of her body. But, predictably, they always settle on her chest.

Swallowing slightly, Edelgard looks as if she very much wants to do more than just stare, and Byleth is happy to indulge her.

“So, I know I said we should get some sleep… but how about we have a bit of fun first?”

A bite on her lower lip is Edelgard’s immediate response, followed by her quickly pushing Byleth over and joining her on the bed.

They don’t waste any time, and Edelgard takes full advantage of her partner’s present nudity. As reserved as she tried to present herself, she could never quite resist the allure of her old schoolgirl crush, especially given the full romance that had blossomed from it.

“I love you, my teacher,” she whispers in the silence and space between their frantic kissing and touching. “Byleth…”

“And I love you, El,” she returns, shivering with delight at being able to say that truthfully. A long time ago she might have never thought that would ever be true, but like so much between them, they always strove to overcome the impossible.

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this a palette cleanser (and penance) from my last fic. I just love this relationship so much.


End file.
